Australian blitz as riders tumble

Australia's colours were flying high after the crash-marred second stage of the Tour de France on Sunday.

Alessandro Petacchi of the Fassa Bortolo team confirmed his excellent Tour of Italy form by holding off Lotto's Australian rider Robbie McEwen, who claimed second place on the 168-kilometre stage to pull on the sprinter's green jersey he won last year.

Erik Zabel, whom McEwen stopped from winning a seventh consecutive green jersey last year, came third after fighting hard to get back into the race following a late puncture.

Another Australian, Brad McGee, spent his second night in the yellow jersey, despite getting caught up in the late crash that resulted in seven riders being taken to hospital, crossing the finish line with the help of teammate Sandy Casar.

Injuries to Americans Tyler Hamilton (collarbone fracture) and Levi Leipheimer (lower back) meant that both riders - former teammates of US Postal team leader Lance Armstrong - were expected to pull out. ");document.write("

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It is a heavy blow to the hopes of Hamilton's Danish CSC team.

Hamilton, 32, beat Armstrong earlier in the season to win the Liege-Bastogne-Liege one-day classic and, after a promising early season, was expected to do well on the tour alongside Spanish climber Carlos Sastre.

Team boss Bjarne Riis, the 1996 tour winner, said he would wait until the morning before making a decision on whether they would ride.

A bunch of riders came crashing down 400 metres from the finish, including four-time tour winner Armstrong and McGee. Petacchi said later that it was a precariously placed finish line.

In the crash, McGee's teammate Jimmy Casper toppled over the handlebars at an estimated speed of 55 km/h.

Casper, whose job it is to ride for Australian Baden Cooke in the sprint finishes, is now likely to ride the second stage with a neck brace.

McGee also came off his bike but got back up and rode over the finish line accompanied by French teammate Casar.

"It was a calm stage until then," said McGee, who won the opening prologue on Saturday to hand his team, fdjeux.com, its first yellow jersey and its third stage win in the race, two of those coming courtesy of the Australian.

He now leads Briton David Millar by four seconds.

"I'm fine. Nothing's broken. But I can't help thinking about my (French teammate) Jimmy Casper, who was taken to hospital," McGee said.

"Having a crash is unfortunate but it's something that sometimes can't be avoided in cycling. "

McEwen, 31, will be happy to have taken back the green jersey, which was being worn by Millar for the day, but he lamented not bagging another stage win after his double last year.

"It's always the same, second place," McEwen said after the race, perhaps referring to the numerous tussles he has had with Petacchi this year.

"Tomorrow's another day and hopefully the team will be able to work as hard for me then."

Cooke came fifth to notch his sixth top-seven finish on the tour after an impressive debut last year.

After claiming his debut tour stage, Petacchi found it hard to celebrate and chastised race organisers. "I didn't see the crash because it happened behind me and all the riders who were racing ahead to fight the sprint," said the Italian, whose concern for fallen teammate Nicola Loda was visible.

He added: "I don't think it's right that on the first day there should be so many bends before the finish."